Today's Featured Biography

Elizabeth Karns

I was born in Lafayette, IN, lived there for 3 years, and then moved to Bellvue, IL for about 6 months. My Dad joined then Air Force, so we moved to Houston, TX. After about 18 months, my parents divorced & my mother, brother (Les) & I moved in with my grandparents in Stockwell, IN. After another 18 months, my parents remarried & we moved to Pasadena, TX. After 18 months, Dad was re-assigned to Newfoundland. While he was overseas, Les, my mother, grandparents, & I lived in Wilmington, DEL. On the way there, I was hit by a car, resulting in Epilepsy. We moved around quite a bit, but usually stayed around Houston so I could be an out-patient at the Bluebird Clinic in Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX. If you'll remember, I always expected to be a nurse, but that was denied me during my senior year at SHHS when the Director of Nuring at a local hospital said I couldn't be a nurses' aide there. She went on to ssy she didn't think I oughht to go into nursing at all - because of my health & Epilepsy - and my neurologist agreed! My neurologist also said she thought it would be too much pressure for me to go to college. Thus, I worked part-time at St. Joseph's Hospital in Houston & walked to a business course for the next year. My mother, grandmother, and I moved from South Houston, TX to South Bend, IN in 1965. I went to Bethel College in Mishawaka for the next two years, majoring in Elementary Education. After two years, I decided I wanted to become a librarian. I had heard IN University had a good library program, so I transferred from Bethel to IN University at South Bend (IUSB). After I'd withdrawn from Bethel College and registered at IUSB, I learned the "wonderful library program" was only at the main campus in Bloomington, IN. I didn't feel I could live in a dorm, so I again went into Elementary Education, only at IUSB! After two years at IUSB, I only lacked student teaching and one course when I came for a visit to TX. One day my stepmother said there was a leter for me. It was from IUSB. They said because I had epilepsy, it would be too traumatic for young children to be around me, so IUSB said they wouldn't give me a degree! When IUSB wouldn't let me graduate,I prayed about it and transferred back to Bethel for a fifth year, finally receiving a B.A. in Elementary
Education (but without student teaching).
I taught kindergarten for five years, earned an M./S. in #Elementary Education at IUSB, and started a day care home in my house (Storybook Day CareHome). I was self-empl;oyed until 1986, when my mother died and I substited in various schools (Kindergarten-6th grade). After schoolwas out, I worked part-time at Kentucky Fried Chicken and. Aftere a month, I found a full-time jkob, working in group homes for adults with MRDD (those who wetre Mentally Retarded-Developmentally Disabled). Befcause of back problems, I was eventually I eventually quit.
After a variety of jobs, I became a full-time employee at the day care center Calvary Temple had (It's now closed). After three yeatrs there, I was diagnosed with Dystonia and so unable to teacg. Calvary Temple created a job for me as Resource Director until I became a recipient of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (Voc Rehab). At first, I began a program to become a
Medical Transcriptionist, couldn't continue this bvecause of co-rdination problem, so went to IUSB and earned my MSL (Master's in Library Science). Near the end of this program, I finally became a recipient of Social DSecurity Disability. I couldn't get a job as librtarian because I was disabled, so I wrote poetery for the International Libraryu of Poetry9 This used to be found - maybe still is - at poetry. com, then click on Libby Karns. Eventually, I published a book. It's title is Butterfly's Metamorphosis: Life of Libby Karns. It can be bought at AuthorHouse's (publisher) website, E-bay or Borders & Barnes & Noble's bookstores. You need to tell the sales clerk it is POD (Print on Demand) and the Book Number ID is 43888. Currently I live atin a retirement community, Sanctuary at St. Paul's.

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